Savage
by Vausq
Summary: When a new mammal joins the police force, Judy meets her idol and Nick gets jelly.
1. Chapter 1

The day was bright and uplifting. Nick waited for his partner outside of a small coffee shop. A wave smelling of dark coffee and fresh pastries flooded him whenever an animal opened the door. The sound of chatting animals and and poppy radio songs filled the streets. It was a joyful morning, despite being a Monday. Not long after, Judy exited the shop with a coffee in each paw and a smile on her face.

"Did you hear what's happening?" She asked with excitement in her voice as she neared the car. Judy fell down into the passenger seat of Nick's convertible and put the coffees aside to talk to him.

"Well, I've heard of a lot of things." Nick said as he picked his coffee back up. "So if you want a straight answer, you're going to need to elaborate a bit on your question."

"There's another rabbit cop on the ZPD!" Judy squealed. "And he's my hero!"

Nick almost spat his coffee back into the cup. The words took him by surprise. Ever since Judy joined the ZPD and inspired the city, so many new prey were joining the force. The fact that another bunny was in the ZPD didn't surprise him, but it was the fact that Judy called him a hero.

"Another rabbit, huh?" Nick asked, trying to sound unamused. "Does this 'hero rabbit' have a name?"

"Of course. His name is Jack Savage." Judy answered dreamily, her words floating in the air. "Zootopia's first rabbit agent."

"Agent?" Nick asked confused.

"Yeah, he was a spy. And now he works at the ZPD! With me and you! Do you think he'll like me?" Judy asked, her mind racing with questions. "Do you think he'll stay? Why do you think he's joining the ZPD?"

"I can't tell you." Nick said as he started up the car and began their route to the police station. "I didn't even know the guy existed until thirty seconds ago."

Judy fell back in her chair and buckled her seat belt before letting out a sigh of joy. She took a few breaths to calm herself before continuing.

"A star like him, in the same building as us." She said dreamily. "Working together to fight crime! How exciting."

"And why have I never heard of 'Agent Savage' before?" Nick asked "You obviously have a thing for him."

"Because you never asked about him." Judy answered. "A while after I joined the ZPD, he got into Zootopia's spy bureau. While I was busy with parking tickets and lowlife thieves, he was busting drug lords and crime bosses."

Judy took a deep sigh and sunk into her seat. "He kept me believing that I could be taken more seriously, despite all the things others thought of me."

"Well, I'm glad you'll finally get to meet your idol." Nick said. "I hope he turns out to be a good guy. I've never been the spy type, but who knows? Maybe I'll learn to like him too."

"Yes!" Judy exclaimed overjoyed. "Fighting crime with my two favorite guys. It almost sounds like a fairy tale."

Nick was glad to see Judy so happy, but he was secretly worried. He would never do anything to stop Judy from liking Jack, but Nick noticed he was slowly growing jealous.

Judy was obsessed with Jack. She talked about him like he had saved her life in a romantic movie. What if Judy did fall for Jack? After all, Nick and Judy's relationship was already though. Discrimination, hatred and social isolation were things they experienced every day because Judy was a prey and Nick was a predator. Not to mention the fact that laws crushed their dreams of having a decent future together. So it shouldn't come as a surprise if Judy wanted to leave that and live a normal life with Jack.

Pff. What was Nick thinking? Judy didn't even know the guy, she had never even seen him in person before. This was probably just a phase. Soon enough, Judy will find the next trending model and forget Jack.

Or at least Nick hoped.

"You seem distracted." Judy noticed. "Are you ok?"

"What? Yeah I'm fine." He lied. "Just bummed out because it's Monday."

"True," Judy agreed. "But it's a Monday with Jack Savage."

'Oh. My. God.' Nick thought. 'Today is going to be a long day.'

"Hey Nick. Hey Judy." Clawhauser greeted flamboyantly as the two animals entered the police station. "Did you hear the big news?" He asked, obviously referring to Jack.

"Yeah! Is he here?" Judy asked impatiently. "Where is he?"

"Slow down, jesh." Clawhauser said with a laugh. "He's waiting for roll call over there." He said, pointing to a room to the left.

Judy thanked him and quickly hurried over to the room with her partner behind her, but Clawhauser called Nick back and gestured for him to come closer.

"I know that face." The cheetah whispered as Nick approached. "That's the face of a jealous fox."

"What? No, you're crazy." Nick quickly defended himself. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Nick, lying is useless. I am the king of gossip." Clawhauser boasted proudly. "I know everything about everyone that walks in and out of this building. And I have seen jealousy a lot."

"You're wrong Clawhauser." Nick denied.

"I know this is about Jack." The cheetah continued with a growing smile.

Nick didn't respond for while, obviously at a loss of words. "How did you know?" He finally asked.

"It's simple relationship chemistry. Take a couple, add an attractive individual, and watch one become jealous of the other." Clawhauser said as he gulped down another doughnut.

"I don't want Judy to fall in love with Jack." Nick confirmed. "So what do I do?"

"There is nothing you can do." Clawhauser answered as if he had said it a thousand times before. "Just let love take it's course."

"That's not a very comforting plan. Maybe I should just kill Jack." Nick thought as he rubbed his chin for comedic effect. "It's the safest option."

"Come on Nick, Judy isn't going to leave you" Clawhauser said as he reconsidered his options. "She's in love with you."

"But she's obsessed with Jack."

"And I'm obsessed with Gazelle and doughnuts, but I know Gazelle and doughnuts can't offer a stable relationship." Clawhauser sighed and leaned forward on his desk. "She doesn't want a spy, she wants a future. And that's where you come in."

"Niiick!" Judy whined from across the station. "Hurry uuuup!"

"This is the moment of truth." Nick said jokingly before heading off towards Judy. "The difference between life and death."

"Good luck." Clawhauser said as he waved goodbye before going back to his box of doughnuts.

Nick ran up to Judy, who was hanging out alone near the room's entrance. She watched Jack, who was sitting down on an over sized chair across the room, playing on his phone.

Jack was a grey rabbit like Judy, but with more height and muscle. Although it was hard to judge from a distance, Nick guessed that Jack was a bit taller than Judy, but not quite at Nick's height. His muscles were well built and it was apparent that he went to the gym regularly. His fur created large black claw-esk marks that flowed from the back of his head and narrowed at his cheeks, giving the appearance of tattoos. He was fit and looked good with tattoos? Nick didn't stand a chance.

"I don't know what to say." She whispered to Nick in panic. "What if I mess it up?"

"You'll be fine." He assured her. "Remember when you were interviewed for the missing mammals case a couple months ago." Nick asked. " And I told you to just ask questions?"

"Yeah. So what?"

"Guys love talking about themselves. Just ask him questions about himself, and wait for an answer. Then ask more questions"

"Ok, that sounds logical. Thanks." Judy said before giving Nick a big smile and running off to meet her idol.

"Please, let Jack be a cool guy that won't hit on Judy." He whispered to himself as he followed Judy into the room.


	2. Chapter 2

Judy was frozen in awe. She never thought this day would come. The day she got the opportunity to meet Jack Savage. A million different scenarios flew around in her head. Would he like her? Would she make a fool of herself? Why was he here? She only dreamed of this day, and now that her dream was true, she was overwhelmed and lost in worry.

And what about Nick? Would he be ok with her if she decided to get involved with Jack? Would that hurt him? It was always tough to read what Nick was feeling because he spent his entire childhood masking his feelings. If he wanted to save Judy any hurt, she knew he would do his best to keep his feelings bottled up with cheap jokes and cheesy smiles. She didn't want Jack to cause Nick any problems, but she couldn't just ignore Jack.

Judy took a quick glance at her friend, who was drumming his claws on the table to the beat of his earbuds. So calm and innocent. But anything could be going around in his head right now and she might never know. Not soon after, Nick caught her glance and gave her a reassuring smile in response. A perfectly warm and honest smile.

 _No way._ Judy thought. _There is no way that smile is anything but happy._

"Alright ladies." Chief Bogo announced, cutting off her train of thought. "I don't usually introduce anyone, and today is no exception. So Jack," He said looking at the bunny. "figure it out for yourself."

It was at that moment when Judy saw an opportunity to talk to Jack. It wasn't anything too long, just something to get him to see her as a friend.

"That's just his way of saying welcome." She whispered to Jack. "He does it to everyone."

"Thank god." Jack answered with a chuckle. "I was starting to think I already got on my boss's bad side. That's not a good thing to do for the first day on the job."

"Nah, you're fine." She assured with a warm smile.

Relief hit Judy like a tidal wave. The worst part was over. She made a good first impression, she even got Jack to chuckle a bit.

She stood in satisfaction, listening to Bogo call names one by one and assigning everyone to a case.

"Hopps, Savage and Wilde," Chief finally announce. "I want you three on patrol in the rain forest district."

Just when Judy thought her day couldn't get any better, it did. She was working with Jack. They were going to stop the same criminals and ride the same patrol car.

"Hey." Nick said as he waved his paw in front of her, trying to break her from her trans. "Ground control to Judy. I repeat. Ground control to Judy."

"Yeah. I'm here." Judy laughed as she swatted Nick away.

With a smile on her face, Judy happily followed Nick and Jack out the station. The day couldn't have been better.

The day could have been better. For the past few hours, Nick sat in the back of the car, painstakingly listening to Jack and Judy chat away. They were having such a great time together and Nick should have been happy for them, but he wasn't. The idea of Judy leaving him for Jack was driving him insane, even though Judy was having such a great time. It seemed like a crazy thing too even consider, but the more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Now Nick and Jack were in the car alone, waiting for Judy. She needed to go to the bathroom so they stopped at a gas station, leaving the two guys alone.

Nick didn't stand a chance against Jack. The rabbit was handsome, funny, nice, clever, strong... the list went on forever. And although Nick was many of those things, he didn't have the title that Jack did. First fox officer had a nice ring to it, but Jack was a spy. _Jack Savage super spy_ sounded way better than generic police officer Nick. And to make matters worse, Jack had accomplished so much more than him. Nick got lucky on his first case and was recognition for a week or so, but eventually it all died down and Nick faded into the background. Jack on the other paw, busted drug lords and mafia bosses almost every other day. He was an inspiration, he was Judy's inspiration. That scared Nick.

That was all bad, but it wasn't the worst. Nick and Judy have been wanting to date for a while, but society had imposed a few problems against their happiness. Zootopia was slowly becoming more open minded about interspecies relationships, but there were still too many problems for Nick and Judy to risk dating each other. It was easy to say they could ignore the public, especially considering what they had already accomplished against stereotypes and prejudgment. But actually putting up with it every day could prove to be a much bigger problem for sure. Because of this, they put their love life aside and focused on being platonic because they knew that if they cared to much for each other, their lives could get very difficult very fast.

That last problem led into the next one, the future. Nick and Judy both wanted a family. But for the moment, children were just a fantasy. Their biology made it impossible to have kids of their own. And adoption wasn't available because mixed families with predators and prey were stereotyped to be dangerous and unpredictable.

If Judy picked Jack over Nick, all of those problems would disappear. The only things that made their relationship inconvenient would vanish, and all Judy had to do was pick the better partner. The one with stronger muscles and more willpower. The one that made loving easy and simple. The one that made a family possible. Jack was the one.

The toughest thing to figure out was what Nick was going to do about it. Should Nick talk Jack and tell him to stay away from Judy? Should he wait and see what kind of animal Jack was before he talked to him? Should he even do anything? After all, if Nick wanted what was best for Judy, he should stay out of it and let her chose. But what if he looses her?

Nick was lost. He was losing his mind.

"Sooo... First fox officer." Jack mentioned with a growing voice, trying to break the awkward silence. "That must be quite the accomplishment."

"You would know." Nick subtly snapped back.

"Sorry?" Jack asked confused, possibly a bit offended. "What do you mean?"

Nick took a breath and put his anger aside. Maybe he should take Clawhauser's advice and try to befriend Jack. "Just that you're a first for the force too." Nick said with his best smile. "First spy bunny."

"Yeah." Jack agreed as satisfaction cured his confusion. "And Judy is the first rabbit cop, isn't she?"

"She is." Nick confirmed.

"We're quite the trio." Jack said in amazement. "What are the chances?"

"They're stacked against me." Nick muttered.

"What was that?" Jack asked confused.

"Nothing. It was nothing."

Awkward silence quickly settled in after that. So Nick asked Jack a question that had been brewing in his mind for a while. What evil spirit caused Jack to move to Nick and Judy's division. Nick didn't quite word his question that way though.

"So why did you join the ZPD?" Nick asked curiously. "I thought being an agent would be way more fun."

"It is, but it was just too much. I realized that I can't live my whole life with that kind of risk. Eventually, I want kids and a family, but the job was too dangerous. I want a normal life."

"Does our serious spy has a soft side?" Nick teased, trying to make fun of Jack, but he secret grew jealous. Jack was Judy's perfect partner, and now he was looking to settle down. If Judy was ever considering a serious relationship, Jack had Nick beat by a mile.

Jack let out a small chuckle of embarrassment. "Well I don't want to live my life short and alone. I want to live life to it's fullest, not die on the job before I'm thirty."

"Did you say _before thirty_?" Nick asked. "How old are you?"

"I'm twenty seven."

 _Damn it._ Nick thought. _Now I look like an old man._

"Wow twenty seven." Nick said as he reminisced about his earlier years. "I remember my twenties."

"Oh yeah?" Jack asked. "Did you work for the force back then?"

"Nope." Nick answered bluntly. "I lived on the streets and made cheap money conning others into giving me pity."

Nick's past really took Jack by surprise and left him speechless for a few seconds. He didn't expect such a high held animal like Nick to have such a grimy past.

"You didn't have an actual job?"

"No one would hire me because they didn't trust foxes. The only reason I even got this far was because Judy helped me get here, but without her, I would still be hustling animals on the streets."

"Your life was that tough?"

Nick nodded.

"Hello boys." Judy greeted with a smile as she jumped into the back of the police cruiser joyously. "Ready to catch some crooks?"

"Yep." The two answered in perfect synchronization before looking at each other curiously, as if it was a magic trick.

"Good, because we have a stakeout to take care of."

"Uugh." Nick groaned in disappointment. "But stakeouts are boring."

"Come on Nick, it'll be fun." Jack insisted. "It'll give is some time to get to know each other."

 _Fun, yeah right._ Nick thought. He was already stuck in a pretty bad position once Jack showed up. But being stuck in a car with Jack and Judy for hours on end was like the universe giving Nick the middle finger.

But Nick knew that meeting Jack was way bigger than himself, it was Judy's dream. If Nick was really Judy's friend, he would put his own problems aside and let her enjoy the time she had with her idol. Even if it killed him on the inside.

"Ok." Nick said with his most high held voice. "Let's go get some baddies."


	3. Chapter 3

Nick spent his entire childhood observing other animals. Their facial expressions, body language and even their voice were all things that Nick used to determine how someone felt before they really got to know each other, but there was something strange about Jack. Nick couldn't quite put his paw on it, but he knew something was off.

It was something about the way he carried himself. Jack was confident, strong and dedicated, just as Nick would have expected from such a glorified animal, but he could tell that Jack didn't feel right about where or who he was. There was a piece of Jack that just didn't fit his confidence or certainty, but Nick didn't know exactly what it was.

Nick took a glance at Jack, who was sitting beside him in the driver seat. Back straight, ears on end, scanning from left to right, and then right to left. Jack acted like a robot, as if the spy training had built him into some kind of a super bunny. His narrow eyes eagerly searched for a signal to jump their expected suspect.

"You seem dead set about catching this guy." Nick noted aloud. "You should relax a bit. Take a nap and let me keep watch for a bit."

"No, thank you." Jack replied. "Working in unfavorable conditions has become a habit of mine."

"Okay," Nick shrugged off Jack's response without a second thought and turned to look out the window. "If you insist."

The night was ugly. Chief Bogo had set them up at the city's loading docks, where their suspect was expected to make their entrance into the city. Because of their near proximity to the water, fog had rolled in and caused the docks to seem far more eerie than usual. Simply looking outside sent chills up Nick's spine.

The sight of the docks wasn't something Nick enjoyed, so he decided to shift his attention to something more relaxing.

He turned and took a peek at Judy, who was curled up in a ball, sleeping away in the back seat. Seeing Judy put Nick at ease, and for a few wonderful seconds, he forgot about all of his troubles. But just as all good things come to an end, so did Nick's peace.

"We are working, Wilde." Jack interrupted coldly. "You should be focused on the mission."

Nick almost lost his mind right at that moment.

Nick thought he had gotten used to others working harder than him, Judy being his prime example. She always rode his back, telling him how he should focus and work harder. Now he needed to deal with Jack too?

The worst part about Jack was his attitude. He had no sense of humour, no traces of happiness and no interactions with society. Putting up with Judy was tough at times, but anyone could tell that she was caring and loving. Jack on the other hand, didn't seem to have a trace of a soul.

Jack shouldn't be here. He thought bitterly.

However, Nick knew that anger wasn't the solution, so he calmed himself down and stuck with his moto. Never let them see that they get to you, he repeated to himself in hard times.

"Tell me what you see." Nick finally said.

"Hmm?"

"You heard me. What do you see?" Nick repeated.

Now Jack focused even harder to try to see what wasn't there. "Nothing." He replied at last.

"My point exactly. Nothin' to see and no one to catch." Nick said with a sigh as he kicked his legs up onto the dash. "You know what you problem is? You're too uptight."

"So?" The bunny replied, "It's what gets the job done." He reasoned. "Maybe you should take the job a little more seriously, Nicholas. It wouldn't hurt you to show a little initiation."

"Well then what would be the fun in that?" Nick laughed.

Jack stared at the fox in surprise. How can he be an officer? He asked himself. He can't take anything seriously.

"Work isn't supposed to be fun." Jack told the fox.

"All I'm saying is that we don't get payed for working." Nick answered. "We get paid for getting the job done. So why would anyone work harder than they need to? Just chill out a bit."

"Hmph," He smirked. "An agent of my caliber cannot simply chill out."

Nick raised an eyebrow as though Jack's statement was stupidly obvious. "I can tell."

Jack slowly turned to Nick. "Is it really obvious?"

Nick nodded before continuing. "You're fidgety, tense, always looking for someone to catch or something to solve. Usually that isn't bad, but you've lived your entire life like that and it has made it impossible for you to relax."

"That's why I'm here." Jack said. "I want to learn how to relax."

"I don't think that's the entire truth."

"Officer Wilde, are you calling me a liar?"

"That's not what I said. I just think there's something more to you. Something you're not letting on."

"Well, perhaps you shouldn't assume things that aren't true."

"Jack, I've lived my entire life analyzing, examining and manipulating animals to the point where I know more about them then they do." Nick said calmly, trying to keep his anger to himself. "It's a skill that has kept me alive. So if you have a dirty little secret that you're trying to cover up, know that I will find it."

An unsettling silence fell over the car before Jack spoke up."So what's your conclusion, detective Wilde?" Jack asked tauntingly. "What's my secret?"

"You aren't really here to start a new life." Nick said. "It's a cover up."

Jack let out a small laugh. "What makes you think that?"

"You're famous, everyone knows you. Especially your enemies. If you wanted to live a normal life, you probably should have done a better job at getting rid of your past. But here you are. With your same name, same line of work, same attitude and you moved to the largest city on the planet. You couldn't have made it any easier to track you. Someone who really wants to start a new life would have done a better job at covering their tracks."

Jack let out a deep sigh, obviously fed up with Nick's attitude. "You're a joke of a cop, Wilde." Jack said disappointingly.

"Well, I guess that makes two of us."

"Judy." Nick whispered as he shook her awake. "Judy. Get up."

The bunny groaned a bit before sitting herself up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"What time is it?" She asked softly.

"Three thirty."

Judy let out a long yawn before stretching herself out.

"Is there a reason you woke me up?" Judy asked. "Do you see our target?"

"Yep, he should be getting into that SUV." Nick replied as he pointed out into the fog.

Jack let out a small laugh, as of Nick didn't know what he was talking about.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" The fox asked angrily.

"You bet." Jack said with a growing grin on his face.

Jack opened their target's file. In the folder was an image of a beautifully stunning bunny. Smooth grey fur, piercing emerald eyes, charismatic smile. She seemed to be so full of life. But Jack knew better. He didn't let her joyful outside convince him that she was anything but a criminal. Jack began to read.

"Well first off, our suspect is a she, not a he." The bunny said while giving Nick a cheesy smile of success. "Looks like someone didn't do their homework."

"Read the file, Fluff." Nick ordered.

"If you insist. Her name is Kayla Helm, twenty five year old rabbit from Tundra Town. She had a tough life, homeless until a few years ago when she married a wealthy crime boss. He dealt with most illegal trades in the city until he died of 'unusual causes'. Being his next of kin, Kayla took over the business and has since grown to be one of the largest international trade bosses ever. Now she deals with illegal distribution of firearms, drugs and even slaves."

"So to recap, she killed her husband and sells bad stuff too bad animals."

"Yes, Wilde." Jack said annoyed. "Thank you for minimizing my implication in this case."

"Sorry to break it to ya, but there isn't anything to minimize."

"Nick, quit it." Judy spoke up before leaning over to the front of the car and speaking into the dispatch radio. "This is officer Hopps. We've spotted the suspect. How should we proceed?"

Not long after, Clawhauser's voice came though the machine. "Engage the suspect, Hopps." He answered.

"You heard the cheetah," Judy said as she jumped out of their squad car. "Lets go catch us a criminal."


	4. Chapter 4

Judy was getting ready to jump out the car when Jack grabbed her arm and held her back.

"I need you to be here with Wilde." He told her. "When I give you the signal, ram Helm's SUV as hard as you can. Can you do that for me?"

"Yeah… yeah, sure." Judy managed.

"Perfect." Jack said before hopping out the car and heading towards their target.

"Wait. Jack." Nick whispered, trying not to draw the enemy's attention. "What's the signal?"

But Jack didn't answer. He simply walked off without saying another word. Away from his team and towards the enemy line.

Kayla's body guards spotted him instantly and raised their guns at the speed of light. There were six of them, all wolves holding heavy assault rifles and wearing body armour. Jack didn't stand a chance.

"Don't move." One of the wolves shouted. "Put your paws in the air."

Jack cooperated, calmly raising his paws to show that he was unarmed. An evil grin spread across his face as though he had a plan, and it was all going according to schedule.

"Is he surrendering?" Nick asked Judy, who was now sitting beside him in the driver's seat. "Is his best plan to give up?"

"No. He's too good to give up that easily." Judy denied, convinced that Jack had something up his sleeve. "He must know what he's doing."

Nick thought so too, but Jack was running out of time. The wolves had just moved out from their cover and were now marching towards him. If he really did have a plan, it would take a miracle for it to work.

But the chances of a miracle disappeared once one of the wolves fired their gun, launching a tranquilizer dart through the air. The dart swiftly lodged itself directly into Jack's chest with a loud thump. It didn't take long after for Jack to lose consciousness and tumble to the ground.

"Wow. Some hero you got there, Judy. I can't imagine why anyone would question him." Nick wondered sarcastically.

Judy didn't pay any attention to Nick's snarky remarks though. She was waiting for Jack's sign.

"Start the car." She whispered, thinking back to Jack's instructions. "We need to be ready for the sign."

"There isn't going to be a sign." The fox exclaimed. "Jack is unconcious, in case you didn't notice."

But Nick spoke to soon, because as soon as one of the wolves bent over to pick up Jack, the bunny jumped back to life and landed on the animal's shoulder. He then jerked his feet across the wolves head, crunching his neck and killing him instantly.

He continued by quickly pulling out his gun and resting it against the head of the dead guard, taking aim at the other wolves. Before his first victim even hit the ground, Jack fired five precise shots, landing each of them directly between the eyes of the other guards.

The sight of what Jack had done seemed to incredible to be true. Nick couldn't believe what he just saw, and rightfully so. Jack had taken out six guards in a fraction of a second, after being shot.

"That's the signal!" Jack shouted in annoyance, obviously ticked that the two officers had taken so long to react.

Judy didn't waste any more time. She slammed on the gas and raced towards Kayla's SUV.

The acceleration jerked Nick's head back as they jumped forward. The hairs on his back stood on end, his claws gripped onto the leather armrests. He had never been so afraid of Judy's driving.

From across the dock, he saw their target's headlights turned on as it started to drive away, but it was too late.

The two cars collided, tumbling over one another like a tumbleweed of death, before falling over the edge of the dock. Silence hung in the air while the two vehicles flew over the water, before ending with a big _swoosh._

Nick stared intently at their suspect, Kayla Helm, through the double sided mirror. The bunny wore ripped jeans, a leather jacket and even motorcycle gloves. She was leaning back in her chair, balancing herself on it's two back legs to keep herself entertained while she waited to be interrogated.

"Sir, being an officer of the law has its risks." Nick heard Jack say as the bunny marched into the room with Bogo by his side. "When Hopps and Wilde signed onto the force, they accepted that."

"Savage, I am not going to repeat myself. If you order another one of my officers to drive into the ocean, I will send you back to where you came from."

Jack opened his mouth to defend himself, but the chief already had his back turned and before long, stormed off, slamming the door behind himself.

"I have to say, I wasn't too fond of the swim." Nick spoke up. "Now my uniform smells like salt."

"Don't forget that I had to go fish you out." Jack said with a deep sigh. "Besides, we don't have time to whine. We have a criminal to interrogate."

"I don't know." Nick said with concern as he turned his attention to Kayla. "I know her type, and she is not going to tell you anything."

"No way, she's weak. She'll break instantly."

"You really think so?" Nick asked tauntingly. "Then let's take up a bet. Who ever get the information first, wins."

"This is no time for games, Wilde." Jack frowned. "We need to take this seriously."

"You're right, this is serious." The fox admitted. "There should be stakes." He said as he began to fish his wallet out of his pocket.

"There!" Nick announced with a hand of crumpled bills. "Winner gets... thirty five bucks from the loser."

"I refuse to play such childish games with an officer of the law-"

"Great, so glad you could play." Nick interrupted as he ran off to get his win.

"You have quite the list of crimes, Miss Helm." Jack noted. "Slaves, firearms, drugs. The list goes on."

"Tough times call for drastic decisions." Kayla said calmly.

" _Drastic_ is a bit of an understatement." Jack chuckled. "No one's seen you in this city for over a decade. You were born here but you left once you got married."

"So? What's it to you?"

"The reason you came back is _what's with me_."

Kayla fidgeted with her paws before answering.

"I was born here." She answered deeply. "I wanted to visit my past."

"Huh." Jack chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "That's quite funny because your life here was disgusting. Homeless and living off of almost nothing isn't something I would want to revisit."

A deep silence hung in the air, making Kayla very uncomfortable.

"So what?" She mumbled.

"You came here to do something bad because you're a bad animal. So tell me what I want to hear, because we both know that you aren't getting out of here until you do."

"Being here for a while doesn't bother me." She said nonchalantly as she looked around the room. "Its comfy in here. Nice and roomy."

Jack stared at Kayla in disappointment, knowing that she was never going to tell him where she was headed. _You win this time, Nicholas._ Jack told himself.

"I'll be back." He said in a deep tone as he left the room and slammed the door behind him.

It took awhile, but Nick finally found what he was looking for. The answer to why Kayla Helm came back to Zootopia, and he got it before Jack. He couldn't wait to passively rub it in Jack's face, proving him wrong. But Nick came to find something else. Jack and Judy sitting together in the station cafeteria, laughing and making jokes.

It took every bit of Nick's strength not to jump Jack and beat him into the ground. The fox could stand having the spy as a partner, even if Judy admired him, but this was going too far. Judy was head over heals for a guy that put her life in danger. Sure, he killed six guards faster than Nick could count to one, but he had no emotions or feelings for anyone else. That's what made him dangerous.

"Nick!" Judy called out once she spotted him. "Jack was just telling me about his training. It sounds so rough"

"Great." Nick mumbles to himself under his breath. "More about Jack."

Once he got to the table, he sat down beside Judy and put on his fake happiness again.

"So Jack, how cooperative was Kayla?" Nick asked with a grin.

"Not very." Jack admitted. "How did your little expedition end?"

"Successfully." He said proudly. "She was headed to 1235 Elowen Road, in the Bérubé District."

"Hmm." Jack pondered. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"I have my ways." Nick said before pulling a small metal box out of his pocket and tossing it to Jack. It was quite heavy for its size, only being a couple of inches wide.

"What's this?" He asked curiously.

"That," Nick said pointing at the small instrument. "is a black box. It holds any and all information about anything to do with the car Kayla was in. Including, but not limited to her GPS."

"How did it survive the crash?" Judy asked.

"It's built to withstand crashes for reasons exactly like this." Nick answered.

Jack inspected the box, turning it around in his fingers. It was cold to the touch, like an ice cube. "I'm impressed, Wilde."

"Yeah, you should be. I did what the chief asked without sending anyone into the ocean."

"You are never going to let that die, are you?"

"Not one bit."

Jack chuckled as he got up and handed the device back to Nick.

"So that's it." Jack admitted. "You win the bet."

"Thank you Mr Savage, for being such a good sport."

The three stood up and walked off while Jack handed Nick the money.

"You know," Nick continued. "I never asked you how you stayed awake from that tranquilizer dart."

"I've been training myself to develop an immunity against it." He said.

"Like in The Princess Bride!" Judy squealed with delight.

But Judy's happiness was short lived because Jack answered with a very confused face. "Wait… Which princess?"

"Really?" Nick asked. "You haven't seen that movie?"

But Jack just shrugged.

"My name is Inigo Montoya." Judy started.

"You killed my father, prepare to die…" Nick continued. "That doesn't ring a bell?"

"I've been isolated my whole life." Jack said in his defense. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to watch that movie and fix yourself." Nick answered as the trio marched off to find Bogo.


	5. Chapter 5

Judy woke to the loud sound of her phone ringing. The noise pierced her mind, making sharp pains in the back of her head. She normally woke up fine, always having a spry morning routine. But the mental stress created by the heavy gunshots and car crashes from the night before had given her a hangover of sorts. She aimlessly reached around her night stand in a lousy attempt to find phone. Once she did, Judy kept her face smothered in her pillow as to not blind herself with the phone's bright screen as she slid her finger across to answer the call.

"Hello?" She asked lazily.

"Hello, I am Dakota Grady with the Zootopia Bureau of Criminal Affairs." She heard the voice say. "I am calling in regards to a Judy Hopps."

"Well, you're talking to her." She answered hesitantly. "What can I help you with?"

"A very trusted individual by the name of Jack Savage has claimed that you have been implicated in a case regarding Kayla Helm. Is this correct?"

"Uum... yes?" She answered hesitantly. "Why are you asking?"

"Well, we are interested in further pursuing Helm's case and believe that you may be an integral part in doing so."

Her heart skipped a beat. Did she hear him right? Did he ask her to work with Jack? Again?

"You want me to help you with a case?" She clarified. "With Jack Savage?"

"That is correct." Grady confirmed.

"Yeah. Ok, I'll do it." She answered. "Where do we meet?"

"I'll have a vehicle pick you up at your apartment in five minutes." He said. "I look forward to working with you miss Hopps. I hope Savage isn't wrong about you."

"I won't let you down." She promised.

"You better not." He said before hanging up, leaving Judy alone.

She glanced over at the time, seeing the dim glow of 3:12 am.

"Uugh." She groaned as she pulled herself and let out a long yawn. Judy was always energetic, even in the earliest mornings. Today however, was far different. With a very stressful case the day before and only a couple measly hours of rest, Judy wasn't sure if she was up to the task.

"Too late to turn back now." She told herself before pushing herself out of bed to get ready.

Judy stood by the side of the road, waiting for her ride to pick her up. Now that her head was clear, she was beginning to wonder if getting involved with this whole Helm thing was a big mistake. Judy was used to fighting crime, but this was so much more. She didn't even know what this bureau wanted her to do, yet she had already told them she wouldn't let them down. What was she thinking?

Just as she was reconsidering her decision, a sleek black limo drove up right in front of her and slowed to a stop. The dark tinted window rolled down as the driver, a black bear in a suit and sunglasses peeked his head out.

"You Hopps?" The driver asked in a deep tone.

"Yep." She answered joyfully.

The driver inspected Judy, quickly eyeballing her from head to toe as though he wasn't convinced. He shrugged off his skepticism and without saying another word, pushed a button on the wheel, opening the door in front of her.

She slid into the leather seat and buckled herself in before after the door closed behind her.

She had a feeling the drive was going to take a while, so she thought she'd start a friendly chat with the driver to pass the time.

"What's your name?" She asked innocently.

"I am ordered not to interact with the agents." He said bluntly.

"Agents?" Judy wondered. "I'm not an agent, I'm just a police officer."

But the driver didn't answer. He simply put the car into drive and left.

Judy tried to keep herself awake at first, just in case the drive wasn't that long, but as she saw the lights of the city fade behind her, she gave in and closed her eyes. Thankfully, Judy was able to sleep during the drive. She didn't know how she would be able to survive the awkward 3 hour silence any other way.

"Hopps." She heard a cloudy voice say as someone shook her to consciousness. "Judy, you're here."

As she woke from her sleep, her eyes began to clear and her ears began to adjust. In front of her stood Jack, now wearing a crisp suit instead of his police uniform. He offered his paw to Judy, helping her out of the car. As she stood, the car door closed behind her and the vehicle sped off.

"I trust you slept well?" Jack asked as he came into focus.

"Yeah," She answered with a yawn. "I really needed it."

Now that she was awake, her senses started to come back to her, the first sense being the cold. She was in a forest. The ground and the trees were covered in snow. A slight wind pushed the cold dust up from and across the ground, creating a mist of sorts. The only source of light was from the light above the front door of the building in front of her. The building was short and made of concrete, an industrial and modern.

"Where am I?" She asked hazily.

"You are at the Zootopia bureau of criminal affairs." He answered as he wrapped his arm around Judy and led her inside. "Let's get you away from the cold."

Jack led Judy across the long hallway into an office of sorts. As they entered, she spotted a large white tiger dressed in a sharp suit sitting at the desk across front them.

"You must be Hopps." He assumed as he gestured for her to sit in the chair across from him. "Please, sit."

The two bunnies obeyed and down in their seats.

"So, Hopps." He started. "We need you to pose as Kayla Helm in order to get into the building. Once you get in, we will direct you to the server room where you will infiltrate the building's wifi in order to hack into the guest's mobile devices."

Judy wasn't sure what to say. She knew this new job was going to be though, but this seemed like a lot.

"I mean no disrespect sir, but I am clearly not qualified to do this." She said at last. "I patrol the city and catch vandals. I don't know the first thing about hacking or missions."

"It's simple. Just walk in there, put a USB stick into the right computer, and leave."

Judy still wasn't sure, but hearing the plan at its base did help. After all, it couldn't be too hard, right?

"Ok. But I don't even look like her." She offered.

"Nothing a little makeup can't fix." Grady assured her. "As long as you act the part, no one will think twice."

The offer was tempting, but it seemed awfully dangerous. So many things could go wrong. What if she got cought? Or killed?

"Judy," Jack said, interrupting her train of thought. "I know you can do this. I wouldn't have asked you if I wasn't sure."

Hearing Jack say that made the deal for her. This wasn't just coming from some cop. The best agent on the planet picked her for a reason. He really believed in her.

"Ok." She said with determination. "I'll do it."

"That's the spirit, Hopps. Joanne will help you with your appearance." Grady said as we pointed down the hall. "Second door on the right."

When Grady said that her looks weren't something makeup couldn't fix, he wasn't joking.

Judy thought she had seen it all, but that clearly wasn't the case. Because seeing herself in the mirror, looking at new criminal herself, it blew her mind. The tiniest details were matched so that Judy looked exactly like Kayla from the night before. Before she fell into the ocean that is.

The small silver piercing running down the middle of her lower lip. The gang sign tattoos inked onto the top of her hands. Her lime green contact lenses. Even her scars had been recreated without flaw. It was all temporary of course, but it still seemed so real. She really looked like Kayla Helm.

Then there was the dress. Oh was it ever pretty. Judy never would have thought black was her color, especially with such gothic makeup, but it worked. It was sleek and fitting, shaping to her body in all the perfect ways. The back of the dress was open all the way down to her lower back, showing off the long assault rifle tattoo printed onto her back. An Ak-47 she remembered.

The bottom of the dress was perfect, it wasn't poofy, but instead long and sleek. It wrapped around her waist in the most comfortable way, running down her legs with just the right amount of wave. Then, to complete the outfit, she wore a beautiful necklace with a large, priceless green stone in the center.

Judy didn't feel a lot for the make up. The whole Kayla maskerade wasn't really her style, but the dress was indescribably perfect. She always wore her uniform, and when she wasn't on duty, she prioritised comfort over beauty, usually relying on sweatpants and loose tees. It was nice to wear something expensive, pretty and comfortable for a change.

"Wipe that smile off your face Hopps," Jack smirked from behind her. "You're Kayla Helm now. You don't get to feel happiness."

"That's too bad." She admitted. "Not being able to flaunt about how perfect this dress is? That'll be tough."

"You think that'll be tough?" Jack asked with a grin. "Just wait until you see our car."

He led her down a hallway, through a couple twists and turns until they reached a heavy metal door. He swiftly tapped a couple numbers into the keypad before hearing a little click in the door. The room opened to... nothing. Or at least until Jack flicked on the light switch behind him, revealing a long garage. No, a huge garage. It was at least the size of an airplane hangar, with all sided of it glistening a shiny white as though it was just washed. But the size and shine wasn't what shocked her the most, it was what was inside.

The walls were lined with vehicles of all sorts. Trucks strong enough to tow buildings. Supercars fast enough to outrun rockets. She didn't know a lot about cars, but she had busted enough street races to learn a thing or too. Enough to know that all the cars in here were way out of her price range.

There were also a couple speed boats, some fitted with machine guns, others not. She even managed to spot a tank off in the far corner.

"What is this place?" Judy asked in awe. "Do you even have a budget?"

"When you're as good as me at an important job that no one else will do, budgets become a very flexible term."

Judy took a couple more seconds to take in the view.

"Soo... which one is ours?" She asked.

"That one." He answered after clicking a button on the base of the car key.

From the other end of the hangar, she heard a little beep beep, followed but the heavy rev of an engine. A low, sleek sports car rounded the corner and slowly drove towards the two.

"Is that a lambo?" Judy asked with a mix of curiosity and excitement as the car pulled up beside them. "Are we driving that?"

"Of course." Savage answered as he tapped another button on his remote, opening the door for Judy. It rotated upwards from the front wheel, revealing an empty seat. No driver.

"This car is self driving?" Judy asked in awe.

"Yes, yes it is." Jack answered as he gestured for Judy to lay down in the seat. "After you Miss Helm."

"Why, thank you Mister Savage." She replied as she sat down into the low car.

Her new partner sat down beside her and for a brief moment, her work didn't feel like work. Of course she loved her usual job, but it was still a job. This however, was something else. Sitting in a multi-million dollar car with her idol, dressed up and ready to head off and party definitely didn't feel like a job.


	6. Chapter 6

The drive was long and quiet. The hum of the engine as they sped along the countryside road was rather soothing, not to mention the relaxing passing of the nearby trees and lakes. However, Jack could sense a lower vibration.

It wasn't difficult for him to notice Judy's worry. He wasn't very good with emotions, but he wasn't blind either. The nervous foot tapping, constantly readjusting herself, it was all so obvious.

Spotting her discomfort wasn't out of the ordinary, however, the way Jack felt as a result was... odd. He had never been bothered much by other's problems, but he felt different in that moment. Seeing Judy, his newfound friend feeling sad and gloomy, he felt compelled to help her. He didn't know exactly what to do, but he figured now was as good a time as any to try.

"I remember my first case." He recalled aloud. "I was sent into a school as a fake student to gain information about a new drug and how to stop it's shipments."

Judy looked up at Jack with a short smile.

"So... like 21 Jumpstreet?" She asked.

Jack glanced at Judy with a confused look, as though she was muttering nonsense.

"Is this another film of yours?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah." She answered with a forced smile.

"Anyhow," Jack continued. "the mission was a success. My first mission was nothing short of perfect, and I have no doubt that this mission will end similarly."

Jack thought he had made a good point in reassuring Judy. However, she seemed unchanged. Still sulking, staring blankly out the window.

"This isn't about the mission, is it?" He asked. "It's about Wilde."

She nodded.

"Everything is going to be fine." Jack assured her. "I'll get you back home in a few hours, you'll find Nicholas, and everything will go along as it was."

"I know." She admitted. "It's just tough going through with a case without him. We always work together."

"I suppose I can understand what you mean." Jack thought aloud. "Coming to Zootopia to fit in and 'settle down' was greatly out of my comfort zone."

"Why is that?" Judy asked curiously. "I thought it would be easy for such a bad ass like you."

"Quite the opposite in fact. I am rather new to the whole family situation." He admitted. "Family isn't something I really had."

"No family?" Judy asked with pity. "Ever?"

"None. I guess my parents didn't want me because they left me by the side of the road soon after I was born. For the next couple of years, up until I was ten or so, I jumped around from one foster home to the next. I never fit in with the other kids, always picking fights or running away, until I eventually got caught and moved else where. Then Grady found me and took care of me."

"Wait," Judy paused. "So Grady's like your adoptive dad?"

"I think of him as a boss, or a fatherly figure at most, but never a father."

Judy couldn't imagine how sad the whole thing felt. She lived most of her life with her parents, and they helped her get to where she was today. Thinking of a world where she was all alone, left to die by the ones who created her... it was awful.

"Why don't you two seem to care about each other?" Judy asked. "I know this job is serious, but do you really need to cut yourself off from Grady like that?"

"Emotional isolation wasn't my idea, Grady raised me like that." Jack said. "After being abandoned by my own parents and kicked out of every foster home possible, I had given up on finding a conventional family. No one ever treated me like I was normal, so I separated myself from my emotions and focused on being productive. So when Grady came along and offered me a job as his trainee, I took the opportunity. We didn't go camping together or do any of that other boring family stuff. Instead, we built guns together, planned war diagrams and practiced martial arts."

"So cutting you off was mostly Grady's idea?" Judy asked curiously.

"I suppose." Jack huffed. "He would always say that emotions don't make for an effective operative team. They create variables and inconsistencies.'"

Judy let that sink in for a bit. She didn't think that was true at all, knowing what she had accomplished while still having a larger family than anyone else on the force. She loved her families, but she couldn't imagine them causing any trouble in her field. That had to stand for something, right?

"So why did you pick me?" Judy asked. "I have 275 siblings. They can make for lots of variables."

"Yes, but It's clear that you know what you're doing. I have faith in your judgment." He said deeply with a smile. "I have faith in you."

Judy may be pretty innocent at times, but she could tell the difference between someone who was giving her a compliment and someone who was flirting. What Jack just gave though, was more than a compliment. Judy could feel her cheeks light up red, she was at a loss of words. Jack's past may have rendered him tough, but this moment was proof that there was still hope for him. He had feelings, and she was going to find them.

"Soo..." Judy said in an attempt to change the subject before things got out of hand. "About this mission that I'm risking my life for, any last minute advice?"

"Now that you mentioned it, there are a few things. First, you need to know who to be mean too. Helm is high up the the crime hierarchy, but other guests need to be treated with respect. Anyone who works there, like guards and servants are up to you though. Oh, and if you ever get caught, act really lost and scared."

"Lost and scared?" Judy asked skeptically. "That doesn't sound very Kayla Helm-like."

"I've seen it done before." He pointed out as he continued to rummage through his gear before turning again to Judy and handing her a small box. "This is all you'll need."

When she opened it, she found a small metal ring and the USB stick mentioned earlier, as well as a handgun and holster.

"That little ring goes around your back tooth." Jack explained. "It has a small mic and speaker, allowing you to speak with Grady and I."

Following Jack's orders, she picked the gadget up and stuck it over one of her teeth.

"Is it working?" She asked a bit too loudly, making a high screeching static between the two pieces. The sound was so intense, it caused Jack to cover his hears with his paws and clench his teeth.

"Not so loud, Hopps." He said frantically. "And yes, it works."

"Oh, okay." She said with a guilty smile. "Sorry."

"Anyways, Grady can also see everything you see." Jack continued as he rubbed his ears to get the ringing out. "Your necklace has a camera, so it'll be easy for him to guide you. He will do just that while I keep the other guests distracted. If you do exactly as he says, nothing will go wrong." He continued, pointing at the handgun on her lap. "Firearms are not allowed at the party, so you need to hide the gun. Strap it to the inside of your leg, under your dress."

"Oh my Jack, you're so scandalous." Judy beckoned jokingly. "Already trying to get under my dress?"

"Get your head out of the gutter, Hopps." He said as he covered his smile, trying to hide his laughter. "You need a means of protection."

Now, Judy isn't usually the kind of animal to make sex jokes, but she couldn't give up this opportunity. Since she heard Jack's sad history, it had become her goal to make him laugh. Even if it made her feel a bit dirty.

"No, you have it backwards." She answered with a cheeky grin. "The guys are the ones who use protection."

That's when Jack lost it, bursting out into full laughter. Judy never thought she would ever see such a dark animal laugh so hard at something as simple as a sex joke, but she somehow manage to get it across. All those years of training, isolation and violence had finally been broken by happiness.

Once Jack caught his breath, Judy turned to him.

"How does it feel?" She asked. "To laugh?"

"Pretty good." He said with a sigh, as if he was relieved. "It feels pretty damn good."

This was no ordinary house party. This was a castle. Long stone towers, pillars lit up with torches. It was as though they were in a movie.

The two bunnies rolled up to a small guard booth stationed a ways from the mansion. It had a connecting fence going all the way around the property and seemed to also be patrolled by guards with large machine guns. This was no home. It was a fortress.

"Welcome Miss Helm." The guard in the station greeted. "I see you've brought guest."

"And?" She asked coldly in return. "What's it to you?"

"Well, when we received the confirmation for your arrival, we were told you will be attending alone."

Judy looked up at the guard with dead eyes as she lowered her sunglasses. "Do I look like I'm here to explain myself to a pawn?"

"N-No mam." She animal stumble, struck with terror.

"So quite being a little bitch and open the gate." She ordered.

"Yes... yes mam." He continued before tapping a couple of buttons onto his computer, opening the gate and clearing her path.

"Thank you for your cooperation." She told the guard sarcastically before slamming on the gas and speeding up the long stone driveway.

"You play the role very well." Jack said proudly. "I knew I chose the right animal for the job."

Judy gave her partner a smile before pulling up to the building. They both stepped out of the car and onto a lush, red velvet carpet. Judy felt like a millionaire. Standing up from her super car with her rich and handsome date, handing her keys to the valet as they stared up at the massive castle before them. She could get used to this.

The two bunnies walked up the grand stone stairs to the main entrance of the home. The building had tall arches and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, like a massive cathedral. They both wandered in and assessed their situation. Most of the guests were unknown to her, but a couple others seemed familiar. She had probably read about them in the crime files.

One animal however, caught Judy's attention more than the others. A tall and mighty rhino, dressed in a suit and tie came to them in open arms.

"Üdvözöljük a szerény hajlék, Helm." The animal laughed joyfully. "Az út itt meglehetősen hosszú volt, nem?"

 _Uuuh._ Judy thought dumbfounded. _That was not English. I only know English!_ She screamed internally, somehow able to keep her cool on the outside.

"Don't do anything stupid, Hopps." She heard Grady say in her head. "Jack has this covered."

That seemed very unlikely, but as usual, Jack never ceased to impress. She quickly glanced at Jack wondering what to do, but he didn't pay any attention to her. He simply kept his focus on the rhino and continued the conversation.

"Nagyon sajnálom, de Helm nem tud beszélni ebben az időben." Jack replied with a lower tone. "Ő kezd, mint egy betegség, és mint ilyen, nehezen beszél."

"Oooh." The rhino said as he inspected Judy. "Szóval az ő fordító?"

Jack agreed with a nod.

The two exchanged a couple more lines before having the rhino's attention turn to Judy. He gave her a few more inaudible words before holding his hand out with smile.

Her heart almost jumped out of her chest. She couldn't answer any questions, she didn't even know what was going on. But instead of freaking out, Judy lead with a nod and a firm handshake before seeing them turn and leave to greet other guests.

She stood for a moment to calm herself, taking in a couple deep breaths, but once then the others were out of the way, Judy pulled Jack aside to confront him.

"What was that?" She asked frantically. "What just happened?"

"Well, that was Aron Varga." Jack said nonchalantly. "I read a bit of his file, but I don't know a whole lot about him."

"That's not what I mean. What language was that?"

"Oh, that was Hungarian."

"And you can speak it?" She asked, growing angrier by the second.

"Of course." He said as though it was obvious. "Along with English, German, French, Spanish, Latin, Mandarin, Arabic, Japa..."

"Okay. I get the point." She interrupted. "Does Kayla know Hungarian?"

"Yes." Jack said as came to a great realization. "Now I understand your concern."

 _I am going to die in here._ Judy told herself. _Just because I don't know Hungarian._

"Hey, buns." Grady called to them through the ear pieces, interrupting Judy's train of thought. "Can you do this later? You have a job to do."

With that rather disappointing pep talk, the two animals headed off in different directions. Jack back towards the crowd, and Judy down a long hall that was hidden off to the side.

"When you get to the end, turn left." Grady told her. "And don't forget to check for guards."

Judy did just that, following Grady's instructions and being careful to stay hidden. She turned and twisted around the endless maze of halls, blindly guided by the chief in her ear. The grand palace seemed to go on forever. Thanks to her acute sense of hearing, she was always able to hear other animals coming and hide accordingly, often behind some curtains or a pillar.

"The one on your right is the server room." Grady mumbled as she approached the door. "Enter with caution."

She checked around to make sure no one was watching before opening the door and sneaking in. Snooping in quietly, she slowly closed and locked the door behind her, careful not to make a sound. However, she was not the only one in the room.

"What are you doing here?" She heard a deep voice behind her ask. "This area is off limits to guests."

She turned to see a tall, muscular lion looming over her. He was dressed in a suit and tie as well as being armed with another one of those huge rifles. For a split second, Judy thought she had lost. She didn't have Jack to help her anymore and Grady didn't seem to be of any help. Judy had finally met her fate. Granted, not by the hands of a Hungarian rhino, but her fate nonetheless.

Just when loss seemed to true though, Judy remembered something Jack had said. Act lost and scared. She thought as she began to formulate a plan in her mind.

"Oh no, I thought this was the bathroom. Mr Varga said it was just over here, and then I took a wrong turn..." She said worriedly, turning in circles to see where she went wrong. "I'm sorry, can you help me back to the main room?"

"Oh, of course." The guard said with a smile as he passed her to open the door. But, before he could get to the nob, Judy played a move she had seen Jack do. She wasn't sure if she could pull it off, but she had no other choice.

She swiftly unclipped her necklace and hopped onto the animal's shoulder, wrapping the steel coil tightly around his neck. She could feel her victim's body revolt as he clawed desperately at her, but she kept her grip. He spun a shook, trying to launch her off like a rodeo bull, but in the end, it was no use. Judy felt the guard start to choke out before losing consciousness and falling to his knees.

She went to retrieve her necklace before hopping off of her victim and clipping it around her own neck.

"Did you kill it?" Grady asked through the earpiece.

"No, I did not kill _it_." Judy commented, checking the guards pulse for safe measure before heading deeper into the room. "He'll be fine. I think."

Judy remembered spending hours upon hours studying in the library of her school. A massive room full of endless rows and columns of books. She spent most of her time looking for the right book and often never found it. Now however, the books were computers, and they all looked identical. How Grady managed to direct her to the correct one, she had no idea. But somehow, he did.

"This one," He told her. "On your right."

Judy followed Grady's orders and slid open a tall door, revealing a huge metal box, about double her height in size. The device was lit a light blue with flashing LEDs and glowing tubes running through it. It was so advanced, it looked like it came from another planet.

She searched around the device until she found her input, a small USB port. Connecting the two devices, she heard a small change in hum from the computer and a dimming of its lights, as though it was restarting.

"Am I done here?" She asked Grady.

"Not yet. You need to wait until the computer restarts." He answered. "Once you hear a little beep, retrieve the USB and return to Jack."

Judy did just that, circling her area before hearing her beep and retrieving the key. After closing the computer up and retracing her steps back to the exit, she left the room and fumbled her way back to the main hall.

"Mission accomplished." Judy told Jack proudly as she snuck up behind him. "I even did it without running into another Hungarian."

"Congratulations." He smiled. "Now, how are you going to celebrate."

"I'm gonna dance." Judy answered. "You coming?"

"Oh no, I have already discussed this with Wilde." Jack repeated. "We do not get paid to have fun, we get paid to get to get the job done."

"Sure, but the job is done now." Judy giggled. "You have to blend in, and enjoying yourself is a good way of doing that."

Jack seemed undecided at first, but he quickly shook his doubt aside.

"Okay, Miss Helm." Jack answered as he grabbed her partner by the waist and pulled her in closer. "Let's enjoy ourselves."


	7. Chapter 7

The past two week were brutal to say the least.

Nick remembered waking up for work just like every other day. Taking the subway to the police station, and waiting for Judy by the front door. She usually got to work before Nick did, but today... she never showed up. Multiple empty texts and voicemails later, Nick decided to talk to Clawhauser. Maybe she called in sick or something.

"In fact, she did... kinda." Ben said with surprise. "The next two weeks are booked as vacation days."

That really caught Nick by surprise. Judy always was an iron grip on her job and stays on shift as long as she needs to. Its a struggle to get her away from the station on her days off, so the idea that she suddenly took such a large amount of time for a vacation seemed too strange.

"Vacation? Judy never goes on vacation. And without telling me?" Nick asked puzzled. "What about Jack?"

The cheetah scrolled down to Jack's name and read it aloud.

"Jack too, the next two weeks." He said. "Wait, he just got onto the force. How does he even have any vaca-?"

"Wait, Jack too?" Nick interrupted. "For two weeks?"

"Yeah. I guess they're doing something together." He said before realizing how heated Nick was getting. "Not that they would be together or anything."

"That's not what your computer is telling me." Nick said, furiously tapping at the screen. "Your computer is telling me that they're probably off at some romantic vacation destination."

"You're jumping to conclusions." He said quickly. "I'm sure there is a logical explanation."

Nick paced the lobby, not sure if it was in worry or anger. What was going on? Judy disappears over night and takes a last minute vacation with Jack? No way. She would never agree to doing something so sudden and extreme. It was totally unlike her.

Just then, Nick's phone rang. He instantly pulled it out of his pocket to see the words _Unknown Number_ flash on the screen. He rapidly tapped the green button and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?" Nick asked, still rattled with worry.

"Hey Nick." He heard Judy's voice over the phone. "I saw your voicemails and tho-."

"Are you okay?" He interrupted in a panic. "Where are you? What's going on?"

"I'm fine. You have nothing to worry about." She said calmly. "Jack and I just need to keep our distance from the city for a bit. We'll be back in a couple weeks."

"Jack? A couple weeks?" He asked in an attempt to hide his anger and fear. "Why? What's going on?"

"Nick, calm down." She said. "I'm at one of Jack's safehouses. You have nothing to worry about."

"I'm still worried though." He answered, trying to stay strong. "You disappeared, just like that. Running off from your life, doesn't seem very Judy-like."

He felt so empty and alone for the whole time Judy was gone. And up until now, it had only been a couple of hours. What would the next two weeks hold? She said she was fine, but Nick was for from it.

"I know, and I can't apologize enough." She said with sympathy. "But I promise you, we will meet again in fourteen days. And we'll celebrate!"

"Can you atleast tell me why you're gone?" Nick asked. "Whats up with you and Jack?"

"I'm sorry Nick, but we got into some trouble." She said with a slow sigh. "I can't tell you what with a happened. It's safer that way."

Those words repeated in Nick's head like a broken cassette player. _It's safer that way. It's aafer that way._ Two weeks without Judy, only those remains of her voice.

Nick was glad they settled on celebrating at a bar. It gave him a little sense of home in a rather confusing time. If it was Jack's pick, he probably would have chosen some hip restaurant, forcing the group to wear overpriced suits and pay fifty dollars for a swig of champagne. Here however, at some random bar in the middle of downtown Zootopia, Nick felt comfort.

He didn't drink to often and he didn't go out a whole lot, but Nick remembered his earlier years. Ten years old, cheating drunks out of their wallets. But why bars? Because anyone could look like Hairy Houdini when the audience was halfway through their fifth beer.

Animals laughing, cheering along their sports team as the waitresses scrambled to clean and serve the next table. Maybe it was just the nostalgia, but Nick felt warm at bars. Jack on the other hand, was new to society all together.

Nick remembered Jack's exact words. "Ah yes, an area where the public may congregate and enjoy alcoholic beverages." The bunny said sarcastically. "I remember."

And it was a fun time, but only for Nick and Judy. Especially the part where Jack didn't understand how much booze was too much.

Nick and Judy sat together at a small booth, watching Jack from a distance. They figured he would know better than to drink as much as he did, but he must have lost track half way through. He downed one beer after the next, it didn't take long for Jack to slip away from reality. Whispering to complete strangers, spinning around on the bar seat, Jack was a hell of a silly drunk.

"I'm having troubles believing it." Nick said with a chuckle. "That goof kept you alive. Speaking of, what was ir exactly? That thing you did? A mission or something?"

"You know I can't tell you that, we've been over this." Judy repeated for the last time. "It's classified."

"Come on. You're acting like you killed someone." He said with a laugh before dropping his face with terror. "Oh my god, did you kill someone?"

"What? No!" She answered in shock. "Me? A killer? Pff."

"I know I know... I'm just worried about you." He admitted. "I know you can take care of yourself, but running off in the middle of the night with a soulless James Bond protecting you from international criminals isn't very comforting."

"I know, I guess I just got caught up in the moment." Judy said with a sigh, taking another peek at her hero. "He is handsome though."

 _Oh hell no._ Nick instantly thought. _This is not good._

"Always wearing a suit makes him look like a jerk." He countered. "He's like a drunk Barney Stinson, only shorter and less funny."

"You really don't like Jack do you?" She asked in disappointment. "I thought you were just upset about the mission, but you really dislike him."

"That is not true." Nick defended. "Sure, he has a wierd vibe, but I think he means well."

They both sat in silence for a while, appreciating each other's space. But Nick could tell something was off. Judy didn't look quite right.

"You doing okay?" He asked with concern. "Any PTSD from the mission?"

"It's... something else." She admitted with a sigh. "When we were on the steak out, waiting for Kayla to show up, I wasn't asleep the whole time. I heard you picking on Jack, thinking he's hiding something. You were so mean."

it took a second for Nick to register what Kudy was saying, butbonce he did, the night came back to him instantly. He remembered questioning, interrogating Jack while they waited for their target. It sounded normal at the time, his special way of getting to know someone, but now that Judy had brought it up, he could see where she was going.

"Judy, I didn't mean for it to sound that way." He said. "I just... I didn't really trust him. I didn't want to put you in any kind of danger."

"Well, he brought me back safely from one of the most dangerous things I had ever done in my entire life." She said in desperation. "Do you trust him now?"

But Nick couldn't bring himself to agree. He still didn't truthfully trust Jack. He had met so many different animals, and the way he first felt about them was always right. Jack was no exception, even if he kept Judy safe.

"If I said yes, I would be lying to you."

Judy was nothing short of disappointed. With a heavy sigh, she turned and ran off to Jack.

Nick laid back against the wall, rethinking that dreaded night. _What if Jack never showed up that day? Or if Judy really had fallen asleep?_

He was just about to go apologize to Judy again when out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a shady character moving along the side of the bar and posting up at the front door. An arctic wolf dressed in a long black trench coat and sunglasses scanned the room.

As Nick looked around, he noticed the others. One standing by the back door, another on an elevated floor looking down at the rest. All wolves of the same type, dressed identically.

"What is it with wolves always being the bad guys?" He muttered to himself as he marched off to tell to Judy of the trap.

He found her sitting next to Jack at the bar, consoling him as he drifted off from reality and grabbed at the air around himself, laughing as he went.

"A couple animals just stepped in and they don't look too friendly." He told Judy. "We should keep an eye on the-."

"Hey!" Jack interrupted droopily. "You just talked to Judy? Cause you hurt her feelings."

"Now is not the time, Savage." He grumbled with tension. "I'm not in the mood."

"Do you know who I am?" Jack taunted between hiccups. "I'm a killing machine. I'm super good."

"Not when you're wasted, you're not." Nick said fiercely as he marched towards the animal, forcing Judy to hold them apart.

 _SMASH_

Suddenly, Jack's bottle shattering into millions of tiny pieces, leaving only glass dust.

With instincts faster than the speed of light, Nick and Judy had already hopped over and taken cover behind the bar. They instantly made the connection to gunfire and were already behind cover.

Jack however, dazed by the alcohol, was a little slower. "Hey, where you going?" He shouted before being pulled over and behind the other side of the bar, seconds away from a hail of bullets.

"I have a sneaking suspicion that they aren't here for the drinks." Nick shouted over the gunfire. "I think they might have something to do with that mission of yours."

"Can we talk about this later?" Judy said, reaching into her coat pocket to produce a handgun no larger than the palm of her hand. "I'll give you some cover, get Jack to safety. I'll be right behind you."

"A gun?" Nick asked terrified. "You carry a gun now?"

"Nick, you need to focus." She ordered before popping over the bar and firing a couple shots to distract their shooters.

Nick took the opportunity to grab Jack and throw him over his shoulders before scurrying of into the kitchen, barely missing a bullet or two.

As promised, Nick turned to see Judy right behind them, following Nick to the back of the building. They ran past chefs and waiters, ducking for cover and hiding under tables in an attempt to stay alive.

More explosions rung in their ears as they pushed through a back door, leading them out into an eerie alley.

"Maybe this safe house of Jack's could come in handy." He said shutting and locking the door behind him. "Hiding is important when others want you dead."

"You know I can't bring you there, Nick." She said. "It's top secret."

"Well, we don't have anywhere else to go. If they can find us here, they know where we live."

Judy clearly wasn't happy by what Nick had just said, but she knew it was true. If they went anywhere but the bunker, they would get hunted down right away.

"Follow me." She ordered as she ran off down the alley. "And try not to fall behind."


	8. Chapter 8

The fact that they got out of the bar was a miracle, but they weren't out of the woods yet. The trio needed a way out of the city, and fast. Their own cars wouldn't do, they had probably been rigged with traps. Busses were too slow, the subway had security cameras, and tickets need to be bought for the train. The only idea that came to mind was theft.

"No way. We are not going to steal a car." Judy argued, her arms in the air. "I am not going to be associated with grand theft auto."

"That's our only option." Nick reminded her. "Or we could get caught, proceeded by death."

Judy didn't approve, but she forced herself to agree. She had never committed a crime of any sort and never planned to, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

The sound of the panicking public caught Nick's attention as they stumbled away from the bar, now blocks behind them. Sirens wail in the distance as the ZPD ordered survivors around, checking them for weapon. With Jack slung over his shoulder, the fox pulled his hood over his head and tightened the strings to hide his face. The last thing he needed was to get caught.

"Why are we leaving?" Judy asked as she tugged on Nick's hoodie, pointing at the police cruisers. "Why don't we go to them?"

"We are the police. The best of the best at that." Nick answered. "If these psychos are willing to shoot up a bar for us, there isn't anything the rest of the ZPD can do."

"So what are we going to do?" She asked . "Were not just gonna fake our own deaths."

"Sure we are."

"What? No way." Judy gasped. "You're crazy!"

"If they think we're dead, no one will come for us." The fox justified. "At least not until we figure out what the hell is going on."

"You can't be serious."

"Being shot at is something I take very seriously." Nick replied in a cold tone. "Very, very seriously."

The three took a sharp turn into a parking garage and examined their options. On either side, the garage was lined with cars of all kind. But stealing a car wasn't just a crime as many thought, Nick learned early in his childhood that theft is an art. They needed the perfect ride.

"Are we stealing a car?" Jack asked drunkenly from behind as he pointed towards a brand new sports car. A convertible with chrome trimmings. "That one's shinny. Can we take the shinny?"

"We are not taking _the shinny_." Nick said as he scanned the garage again before setting his eyes on an old hatchback. "We're taking the one that doesn't look suspicious or attract attention."

He set Jack down on the cold ground and went to work. With some spare change from his coat pocket, Nick was able to make a makeshift screwdriver and remove the screws to a couple license plates. Once he had four or five of them, he backtracked and placed them all on different cars..

"What are you doing?" Judy asked as she kept Jack company. "Making a puzzle?"

"Not exactly. You know how when people call in a missing car, the main thing they go off of is the license plate?"

"Sure."

"Well," He explained. "if you make a long line of mixed license plates-"

"-It'll take longer to get tracked." Judy finished.

"Exactly." Nick confirmed as he tightened the last screw and walked over to the front of the car.

He took a knee beside the car and quickly inspected the lock. Hotwiring that car brought a bit of guilt. Memories he thought he had gotten over, but it felt so right. The second he laid his paws on the door, it all felt familiar to him again, like a bad habit that was now returning. He clicked and clacked at the door's lock and popped it open before going to work on the engine. Within less than a minute, the car roared to life, the hum of a successful getaway.

"There you go." Nick said proudly with his head held high. "I present to you, our getaway car."

"Uh, and... it's ugly." Jack denied sloppily. "You think Imma ride in that?"

"We could leave you here." Nick suggested. "That wouldn't be so bad, right Judy?"

"We are not leaving Jack alone."

"But he's Jack Savage!" He mocked. "Remember what he said? He's super good."

"Stop making fun of him." She said as she helped the drunk to his feet and led him to the back seat.

Being the gentleman he was, Nick politely opened the door for Judy as she tossed Jack in the back. The two sat down in the front, Judy taking the wheel. With her foot flat on the gas, they all sped out of the garage and within ten minutes, were leaving the lights of Zootopia in their rearview mirrors.

Nick was drained of all his energy. Every muscle in his body burned and his head throbbed in agony. With every bit of power he had left, he opened his eyes and focused his hearing on the surrounding environment. His ears awoke before his eyes, allowing him to make out the crackling of a fire and the singing, no... it was more like chanting. But this was no campfire tune, this was evil. He couldn't yet make out the words, but he could feel the hate in the atmosphere, the anger and the rage that fueled the fire.

"Cross breeders deserve to die." They yelled. "Burn them to ash!"

Shaking himself awake, his sight became clearer. As he looked to either side, he saw dozens of animals circling an enormous bonfire, throwing burning rubble into the flame. The flame was something from the pits of hell, a true monster. But above the blaze was something more, someone else. Two animals, tied at the steak like a living rotisserie. As Nick's mind came into motion, the figures became clearer. He saw... himself and Judy.

They were tied to a wooden post with their hands above their heads, the fiery blaze just inches away. They were stripped naked, revealing welts and bruises, bleeding from the cuts that had been left behind. Covered in blood, sweat and misery, the couple slowly roasted at the steak. The pain he saw in his own eyes, his love's eyes, it was all so dismal.

"Burn the cross breeders." The crowd continued as they hailed hell onto the couple. "Burn them to ash!"

As he watched in despair at his life and his love burn to bone, the emotion faded as all went black. He heard nothing, saw nothing, and in fact didn't even feel gravity. He didn't even have a physical being anymore. He simply floated about in space, seeing nothing but eternal darkness.

All was calm...

...

...

 _BUUUUURN!_

Instantly, Nick flew awake. Blood pumping through his veins, cold sweat dripping down his body. He felt himself up and down to make sure he was alive. He was. Swinging his head to the left, he took a look beside himself to see Judy behind the wheel, driving as though nothing was up.

She caught his glance and upon noticing his discomfort, whispered. "Are you okay? You look terrible."

"It's... it's nothing." He assured her. "Just a nightmare."

"You seem to be having a lot of nightmares lately." She noted, remembering the stories he had told her. "How bad was this one?"

Nick knew he couldn't tell Judy the truth. He always left out the graphic parts for her because he didn't think she wouldn't be able to handle it. This was the worst it had ever gotten and thus needed to be contained.

"Not too bad." He lied. "Just memories."

"Ever since we got those letters, you've been having real problems sleeping." She said. "Have you seen a therapist or something?"

"Hhm? No." He lied again, this time feeling a bit guiltier. "I can handle myself. It'll pass."

That was all a hard lie. Nick had told Judy about the nightmares, but this was a new level. Burned at the stake, beaten and broken? No way. Nick was surprised that he was able to keep himself together. He couldn't put that stress on Judy.

Then he came to think about why he was having these nightmares and made the biggest mistake of his live. He acted on it.

The dreams were showing him how painful life would be for Judy and himself if they kept chasing after each other. He knew that he and Judy would never be together. Thankfully, none of his brutal dreams had come true, but if they continued down this path, it would only be a matter of time until society caught up

It pained him so deeply to even think about it. His love sitting at his side, driving through the night with such confidence, it killed him to think of a world where they couldn't be together. Unfortunately for them, that was the world they lived in. No matter how much it hurt him to let go of Judy, he knew it was what he needed to do to keep her happy.

"Hey, Judy?" he asked curiously. "What's with you and Jack?"

"Jack..? Nothing." She said with a shrug. "He's cool, but I don't... like, like him."

"Judy, I know you better than that." He replied. "You do, like like him."

"Really..." She giggled. "There's nothing going between us."

But Nick wasn't convinced. He kept that sly stare on her, letting her know that lying was futile. Judy stayed strong for a couple seconds, but it wasn't long until she realized that Nick already knew. She couldn't hide it anymore.

"Fine, I like Jack. But, what does it matter? You and I are waiting for each other..." She said this fondly, but with a sense of confusion, as though she was still trying to believe it herself. "Jack isn't even an option."

With a calm sigh, Nick spoke against himself. Something he would come to regret for a long time. "I think he should be an option. If he makes you happy, that's what counts."

Judy turned to Nick. She was so surprised that her eyebrown could almost reach to the moon. Nick accept her and Jack was the last thing Judy was expecting.

"Really?" She asked in wonder. "Are you serious?"

"Trust me, the last thing I want is to see you fall in love with him," Nick admitted. "but if we spend our lives waiting for each other, we're both going to die alone. And that's worse than you being happy with Jack."

It took her a minute to let that sink in and realize what Nick was saying. She knew what Nick thought of Jack, not to mention how much he loved her. To see him put that aside for her own sake, it meant a lot to her.

"If this makes you think I'm warming up to Jack, I'm not. I still dont trust him." He continued. "But I trust you more than anyone else in the whole world. If you want to be with Jack, your judgment is good enough for me."

"Th... thanks." She muttered, still taking some time to absorb the moment. "I really appreciate that."

Nick woke to the heavy shaking of the car on a gravel road. Looking out his window, he saw nothing but the dark abyss of nature. Thick brush and tall oaks surrounded them, watching them from every direction.

"Are you sure we aren't lost?" He asked sleepily. "Looks like a horror movie out here."

"I know where we are." Judy assured him. "I think."

But before the bunny could get to sceptical, her stop appeared. She turned down the long dirt driveway with the car's headlights illuminating their safe haven. An elegantly modern two story home shon in the dark of night.

"So what's the plan?" The fox asked eagerly. "Are we gonna have to break into this too?"

"Nope." Judy answered before hopping out of the car and pulling Jack out from the back. "He's our key."

Nick rolled out of the car and followed Judy, who had now thrown unconscious Jack over her shoulders and started carrying him to the front door. As she approached the building, Judy carefully took Jack off her shoulders, pressing his paw firmly against the door. For a quick second, the door hummed as a dim white light glowed inside. After a sudden _beep beep_ , the door changed to a hollow green before sliding a lock and opening on itself.

 _Access granted._ The house greeted as the trio walked in. _Welcome Mr Savage._

The house illuminated itself with a low glow, showing an open and modern living space with a delightful view of a lake. However, the light also revealed the silhouette of a mysterious character. The animal was thin and curvy, obviously female and was about Nick's height, perhaps a bit shorter. As she stepped out from the shadows and into the light, Nick heart temporarily stopped. Not only from the shock of fear that the animal had caused him, but also from her absurd beauty.

In front of him stood a beautifully stunning arctic fox. The vixen wore pyjama pants and a loose t shirt as though the trio had just waken her up, but that didn't take away from her absolute marvel. Her fur was pearly white and well groomed, except for a few outlying scruffs. Her eyes were a clear blue, brighter than the summer sky... while also being deep and cold, as though she had seen some serious shit. She was the perfect combination of fearless and gorgeous.

Then she shot him.


End file.
